I have just gone through a
roadside inspection. What are the regulation requirements for me as
the driver and my company regarding this inspection?

Answer:

The driver of any motor
vehicle receiving an inspection report shall deliver it to the
motor carrier operating the vehicle upon his/her arrival at the
next terminal or facility. If the driver is not scheduled to arrive
at a terminal or facility of the motor carrier operating the
vehicle within 24 hours, the driver shall immediately mail the
report to the motor carrier. This applies even if there are no
violations on the inspection.

Motor carriers shall
examine the report. Violations or defects noted thereon shall be
corrected. If there are violations, within 15 days following the
date of the inspection, the motor carrier shall:

Certify
that all violations noted have been corrected by completing
the "Signature of Carrier Official, Title, and Date
Signed" portions of the form; and

Return
the completed roadside inspection form to the issuing agency
at the address indicated on the form and retain a copy at the
motor carrier's principal place of business or where the
vehicle is housed for 12 months from the date of the
inspection.

Probable Change to Medical Card Driver Retention

Drivers will no
longer be required to carry paper copies of their medical
certification cards beginning Friday, Jan. 30, as the certification
will have been integrated into drivers' CDLs, FMCSA is expected to
announce this week.

The change will come into
effect a year later than intended, as FMCSA delayed the effective
date last January because some state licensing agencies weren't up
to speed on the changes.

Agency spokesperson
Marissa Padilla in response to an inquiry from CCJ this week said
drivers can cease carrying paper copies of their medical
certification beginning 15 days after it is renewed.

However, drivers have been
required since Jan. 30, 2012, to self report their operating status
and provide their medical certificate to their state licensing
agency upon renewal of their medical certification.

So, presumably, the
CDL-medical certification has already occurred for most drivers.

More details are expected to be published by FMCSA
this week.

FMCSA Issues Bulletin to Medical Examiners on Sleep
Apnea

The Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration has published a bulletin to
medical examiners on the FMCSA's National Registry of Certified
Medical Examiners of the current physical qualifications standard
and advisory criteria concerning the respiratory system.
Specifically, the bulletin addresses how the requirements apply to
drivers that may have obstructive sleep apnea.

The bulletin states that
obstructive sleep apnea is a respiratory disorder characterized by
a reduction or cessation of breathing during sleep coupled with
symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness. Given this, OSA may
culminate in unpredictable and sudden incapacitation (e.g., falling
asleep at the wheel), thus contributing to the potential for
crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

The bulletin also
references the agency's advisory criteria from October 5, 2000,
which clarifies when a driver meets the medical standards in
391.41(b)(5) on respiratory function.

Since a
driver must be alert at all times, any change in his or her mental
state is in direct conflict with highway safety. Even the slightest
impairment in respiratory function under emergency conditions (when
greater oxygen supply is necessary for performance) may be
detrimental to safe driving. There are many conditions that
interfere with oxygen exchange and may result in incapacitation,
including emphysema, chronic asthma, carcinoma, tuberculosis,
chronic bronchitis and sleep apnea. If the medical examiner detects
a respiratory dysfunction, that in any way is likely to interfere
with the driver's ability to safely control and drive a commercial
motor vehicle, the driver must be referred to a specialist for
further evaluation and therapy. Anticoagulation therapy for deep
vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary thromboembolism is not
unqualifying once optimum dose is achieved, provided lower
extremity venous examinations remain normal and the treating
physician gives a favorable recommendation.

There are no guidelines
for OSA screening, diagnosis or treatment; medical examiners are
allowed to use their judgment and expertise in evaluating drivers
under the 391.41(b)(5) requirements. The FMCSA advises:

Screening: With regard
to identifying drivers with undiagnosed OSA, FMCSA's
regulations and advisory criteria do not include screening
guidelines. Medical examiners should consider common OSA
symptoms such as loud snoring, witnessed apneas, or sleepiness
during the major wake periods, as well as risk factors, and
consider multiple risk factors such as body mass index (BMI),
neck size, involvement in a single-vehicle crash, etc.

Treatment: OSA is a
treatable condition, and drivers with moderate-to-severe OSA
(defined by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of greater than or
equal to 15) can manage the condition effectively to reduce
the risk of drowsy driving. Treatment options range from
weight loss to dental appliances to Continuous Positive Airway
Pressure (CPAP) therapy, and combinations of these treatments.
The agency's regulations and advisory criteria do not include
recommendations for treatments for OSA and FMCSA believes the
issue of treatment is best left to the treating healthcare
professional and the driver.

FMCSA Releases Crash Weight Analysis

The Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration today announced through the Federal Register
a study that examined (1) whether Police Accident Reports provide
sufficient, consistent, and reliable information to support crash
weighting determinations, (2) whether a crash weighting
determination process would offer an even stronger predictor of
carrier crash risk than the current assessment method, and (3) how
the agency might reasonably manage and support a process for making
crash weighting determinations, including the acceptance of public
input. The announcement invites public comment along with a request
for feedback on what steps the agency should take regarding the
weighting of crash data in the agency's systems based on the
carrier's role in a crash.

Presently, the agency
considers all recordable crashes involving a commercial motor
vehicle occurring in the preceding 24 months as an assessment
within its Safety Measurement System, which quantifies the
on-the-road safety performance of motor carriers to prioritize
enforcement resources.

Independent research has
demonstrated that a motor carrier's involvement in a crash,
regardless of their role in the crash, is a strong indicator of
their future crash risk.

The study examined Police
Accident Reports obtained from two national dataset: the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis
Reporting System (FARS) and the National Motor Vehicle Crash
Causation Survey (NMVCCS). Various statistical and analytical
approaches were employed to assess crash weighting benefits
including an analysis of motor carriers involved in single-vehicle
fatal crashes over time.

Changing the crash weights
based on a motor carrier's role in the crash did not appear to
improve the ability to predict future crash rates when all crashes
are considered. There also was concern about the reliability
of using Police Accident Reports to make this determination.
The study pointed out that implementing a crash weighting effort on
a national scale would require a method for uniformly acquiring
final Police Accident Reports, a process and system for uniform
analysis, and a method for receiving and analyzing public
input.

It is estimated that the annual costs for operating a
system to process Police Accident Reports, including the acceptance
of public input and reviewing appeals, would be between $3.9
million and $11.2 million. The public is invited to review
the full report and provide feedback.

January
30, 2015

Follow Idealease online for current industry news

REMINDER:
OSHA 300A Log posting Feb 1, 2015!

The OSHA 300A log is to be posted between Feb 1,
2015 and April 30, 2015 for all employees to view.

Safely getting in or out of a Commercial Motor Vehicle

Now is a good time to remind drivers to follow the 3
Point rule while getting in and out of their trucks. During
the winter months footing conditions are compromised and the chance
of slipping or falling is increased. The 3 Point rule is
simply that you keep three out of four of your contact points
(hands and feet) secured to keep from slipping or falling. When
exiting a truck , for example, one hand on the cab handle, one hand
gripping interior door handle and one foot on a step while the
other foot is in transition, by doing this you always maintain
three points of contact.

Register Now for the 2015 Idealease/NPTC Safety
Seminars!

Idealease,
its members and the National Private Truck Council NPTC will again
be hosting safety seminars in 2015. The one day seminars this year
will focus on basic safety and compliance, regulation changes and
CSA. The seminars and will be provided to all Idealease
customers, potential customers and NPTC members at no charge.
The seminar provides important information applicable for
both the novice and experienced transportation professionals. To
register for an upcoming seminar in 2015 CLICK HERE.

2015 Idealease Safety Seminar Schedule:

March
4

Portland,
OR

March
5

Seattle,
WA

March
17

Chattanooga,
TN

March
18

Atlanta,
GA

March
19

Nashville,
TN

March
24

Houston,
TX

March
25

Lafayette,
LA

March
26

Mobile,
AL

March
31

Kansas
City, MO

April
1

St.
Louis, MO

April
2

Memphis,
TN

April
7

Cincinnati,
OH

April
8

Columbus,
OH

April
9

Elkhart,
IN

April
14

Linden,
NJ

April
14

Phoenix,
AZ

April
15

San
Leandro, CA

April
16

Lodi,
CA

April
21

Santa
Fe Springs, CA

April
21

Harrisburg,
PA

April
22

Ventura,
CA

April
22

Landover,
MD

April
23

Baltimore,
MD

April
28

Oklahoma
City, OK

April
30

Milwaukee,
WI

May
5

Kelowna,
BC

May
6

Lexington,
KY

May
7

Denver,
CO

May
12

Tampa,
FL

May 12

Detroit, MI

May 14

Minneapolis, MN

May 20

Altoona, IA

June
25

Santa
Rosa, CA

October 14

Grand Rapids, MI

October 20

Las Vegas, NV

October
22

San
Martin, CA

The Idealease
Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease affiliates and their
customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source
of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin
is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise
certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements,
or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or
governing body, or industry standards.